Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Zihao Sui, Zhihan Zhao, Bo Dong
Summary: The phylum Chordata is defined by the presence of a notochord, with debates centered around its origins. Two main hypotheses, the de novo theory and the axochord theory, propose different evolutionary paths for the notochord's development. Molecular and structural evidence suggest a distant homolog relationship between the midline muscle tissue in annelids and the notochord.
Article
Cell Biology
Luok Wen Yong, Tsai-Ming Lu, Che-Huang Tung, Ruei-Jen Chiou, Kun-Lung Li, Jr-Kai Yu
Summary: The study reveals that cells in the lateral wall of amphioxus somite express crucial genes for tissue mineralization and collagen genes, expanding medially and laterally during development to associate with neural tube, notochord, gut, dorsal aorta, and epidermis. This suggests that the lateral wall of amphioxus somite likely corresponds to distinct vertebrate somite compartments, with a conserved role for BMP signaling pathway in somite patterning. The findings support the hypothesis of ancient traits related to compartmentalized somites and their contribution to primitive skeletal tissues, dating back to the chordate common ancestor.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jason S. W. On, Liuru Su, Hong Shen, Aloysius W. R. Arokiaraj, Joao C. R. Cardoso, Guang Li, Billy K. C. Chow
Summary: Based on anatomy and gene expression, the Hatschek's pit in the cephalochordate amphioxus is suggested to be the functional homolog of the vertebrate adenohypophysis. This study explored the distribution and potential function of the amphioxus PACAP/GCG precursor, which is the ortholog of the hypothalamic PACAP neuropeptide in vertebrates. The results support the hypothesis that the amphioxus Hatschek's pit is likely the functional homolog of the vertebrate pituitary gland.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vasileios Papadogiannis, Alessandro Pennati, Hugo J. Parker, Ute Rothbacher, Cedric Patthey, Marianne E. Bronner, Sebastian M. Shimeld
Summary: This study investigates the role of the Hmx gene in the development of sensory ganglia in vertebrates. The results demonstrate the conservation of regulatory and functional properties of Hmx between Ciona and vertebrates, and suggest that bipolar tail neurons might be homologous to cranial sensory ganglia.
Article
Biology
Elia Benito-Gutierrez, Giacomo Gattoni, Manuel Stemmer, Silvia D. Rohr, Laura N. Schuhmacher, Jocelyn Tang, Aleksandra Marconi, Gaspar Jekely, Detlev Arendt
Summary: The study reveals overlapping expression of conserved transcription factors that specify the telencephalon in vertebrates in the chordate amphioxus. Specific co-expression is observed in the dorsal part of the anterior brain vesicle, referred to as Pars anterodorsalis (PAD). This suggests homology between the adult amphioxus brain vesicle PAD and the vertebrate telencephalon.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ksenia Skvortsova, Stephanie Bertrand, Danila Voronov, Paul E. Duckett, Samuel E. Ross, Marta Silvia Magri, Ignacio Maeso, Robert J. Weatheritt, Jose Luis Gomez Skarmeta, Maria Ina Arnone, Hector Escriva, Ozren Bogdanovic
Summary: The study shows that invertebrate deuterostomes use TET enzymes for targeted demethylation of regulatory regions associated with developmental genes, indicating a conservation of this major gene-regulatory module in vertebrates.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jesus Sanchez-Rodriguez, Christophe Raufaste, Mederic Argentina
Summary: In this article, scaling laws for undulatory swimmers are proposed, relating beat frequency to length considering muscle biology and fluid interaction. The results support the idea that frequency tuning is the primary means by which a swimmer selects its speed, and highlight the influence of size on frequency regulation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Pascal Schmidt, Eva Leman, Ronan Lagadec, Michael Schubert, Sylvie Mazan, Ram Reshef
Summary: This study investigates the role of retinoic acid (RA) in the regulation of chordate and vertebrate pronephros formation through a comparative developmental approach. The results show that the conservation of Pax2 and Lim1 expressions in chordate pronephros homologs is present, but the responsiveness to RA and Hox-dependent regulation is a novelty in gnathostomes.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Satoko Fujimoto, Kaori Yamanaka, Chiharu Tanegashima, Osamu Nishimura, Shigehiro Kuraku, Shigeru Kuratani, Naoki Irie
Summary: The notochord plays a crucial role in the developmental pattern formation of vertebrates, with gene expression in the notochord showing lower conservation levels compared to somites and neural tube. However, genes involved in inductive signaling pathways, such as the sonic hedgehog cascade, exhibit higher conservation levels in all three structures, indicating their importance in developmental burden and inter-dependencies.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Haifeng Li, Zhan Gao, Shicui Zhang
Summary: Research demonstrates the presence of serine proteinases trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase in the digestive tract of the amphioxus, suggesting a homology to vertebrate exocrine pancreatic cells. This finding provides a new perspective for studying the origin and evolution of the vertebrate pancreas.
Review
Biophysics
Jae-Young Lim, Walter R. Frontera
Summary: The decline in muscle mass and strength with age, known as sarcopenia, is a major clinical concern in an aging society. Understanding the changes in muscle fibers is essential in studying sarcopenia. Mechanical experiments with single muscle fibers have been conducted for many years and can serve as useful biomarkers for aging and sarcopenia. This review summarizes the historical development of these studies, the definition and diagnosis of muscle aging and sarcopenia, and the age-related changes in mechanical properties of single muscle fibers.
JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Ali Pourfarzan, Jaime G. Wong
Summary: This study investigates the effect of amplitude ratio on the propulsive performance of in-line tandem pitching foils through particle image velocimetry experiments. The results show that the amplitude ratio can significantly affect the performance of the hind foil, particularly at spacing larger than one chord length. Furthermore, the study finds that high thrust generation is associated with the formation of a vortex pair on the suction side of the hind foil.
Article
Zoology
Diana H. Li, Ian K. Bartol, William F. Gilly
Summary: Researchers studied the relationship between neural pathways and hydrodynamics in squid and found that the non-giant system provides more flexible hydrodynamic output, while the giant system can provide a reliable boost when necessary.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan E. Hulett, Julian O. Kimura, D. Marcela Bolanos, Yi-Jyun Luo, Carlos Rivera-Lopez, Lorenzo Ricci, Mansi Srivastava
Summary: Researchers investigated the stem cells of a marine worm, Hofstenia miamia, and found heterogeneity of these cells during development and regeneration. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed shared cell types and their associated gene expression dynamics during regeneration. This study provides a basis for comparing cell states across species and future studies of stem cell fate potentials.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Anastasia Khokhlova, Olga Solovyova, Peter Kohl, Remi Peyronnet
Summary: Efficient pumping of the healthy left ventricle requires heterogeneities in mechanical function of individual cardiomyocytes. This study compares the mechanical function of cardiomyocytes in papillary muscles and the free walls of the left ventricle. Significant differences were found in sarcomere shortening and cytosolic calcium concentration between the two regions.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CARDIOLOGY
(2022)